


Eternal Seeker

by RubenCondrai



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Godseeker is a beetle in my mind, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Strangers to Lovers, autistic headcanon, lots of headcanons in the later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-09-26 00:03:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20380345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubenCondrai/pseuds/RubenCondrai
Summary: Eternal Emilitia meets the woman of her dreams. Literally.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to my friend @hallowed-vessels for beta reading this fic!

The Radiance just won't take a hint, won't she? Surely by now it was obvious Emilitia won't be swayed by her?

It blinded her, the light, but it wasn't the glaring shine she was used to in her dreams.

Eternal Emilitia squinted at the golden sky above her and waited. Warm water lapped at her legs and drenched her cloak. A deep humming echoed in the halls, accompanied by windchimes and the waterfall of the hot spring she laid in.

It almost lulled her back to sleep.

Almost.

Swiftly, Emilitia stood up and regarded the whispering bugs around her a look. Their stares were hidden behind golden masks and bodies tightly wrapped in cloth. None of them reached above her chin. They bowed as she stepped out of the water and walked past them.

The humming and whispering stopped.

Light blinded Emilitia, but she kept walking. A crowd of the mask wearing bugs appeared in front of her. All of them watched over an arena and she immediately recognized the tattered cape of the grub who broke into her home and was bold enough to keep visiting. They jumped and spread their wings for extra height and swung their nail at a creature hidden in leaves.

She scoffed. They weren't even elegant enough to fly properly.

Why was she even having a dream including them? Or any of this?

She turned away and spotted a throne in the middle of the crowd. Tall and proud al bug sat in it. Wrapped in cloth just like the others but her mask was bigger and decorated with a crest.

She looked at Emilitia.

"O Eternal Emilitia! We art delighted to see thee!" her deep voice echoed slightly in the arena.

"Yes, yes, thank you for having me...?" she crossed her arms behind her back and craned her neck to look into her eyes. "Where am I?"

"We called thee," Godseeker motioned with her head towards the others, who all watched them instead of the knight now.

She didn't cast them another look. "Oh, I presumed the 'we' was a simple case of Nosism?"

"Nay. We seek. We attune. To Gods of Our future. Our mind made of many Seekers, fused into a sea, for Gods as thyself to call home. Thy presence is welcomed," she bowed.

"You think of me as a God?”

"Thou are not the Goddess of Eternal Beauty?"

Her hands shot up and flapped wildly as Emilitia laughed. "Why, thank you! It is quite a hassle to remain such a sophisticated appearance nowadays-"

The creature screeched and Emilitia cringed, covering her ears, as she watched it explode into a leaf pile and tiny bugs scattered for cover. The Knight stood, tapping their feet against the floor. Godseeker looked up into the sky and the blinding light returned. As it faded away the arena ground changed and a new enemy charged at them.

"Through ritual combat We attune Ourselves to higher beings," Godseeker briefly explained.

Emilitia looked at the seat next to the throne and the other Seeker made space for her. She sat down. Folding her hands in her lap and quietly bouncing her leg to keep them from swinging and rocking herself in the seat. 

"I suppose this whole…Godhome? Isn't the Radiance's work then?"

"Nay! The God of Gods yet has to reveal herself."

"God of Gods? Surely you couldn't possibly mean her." Emilitia narrowed her eyes and dug her heel against the floor. "No one stands above our beloved Pale King! I will not surround myself with such foolish thinkers."

She stood up and with quick strides went back into the direction she came from. Her face flushed in embarrassment but she kept on walking. She wasn't wrong! The Radiance was barely worth being called a god. They should be trying to please the king and not waste their time on a giant moth who decided to eat a lumafly lamp! Muffled whispers hung in the air and the light seemed to ring as it encompassed her.

Eternal Emilitia woke up in her room in the City of Tears.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to hallowed-vessels for beta reading and thanks to the comments supporting my nervous butt ehdhdhsh!!

Again, she woke up not fully rested.

Eternal Emilitia’s face burned, yet her hands rubbing her eyes were ice cold. It has been days but her body froze under the piercing eyes of nobody as she stood up and paced around her room. 

Only her flowers kept her company. 

Her flowers didn't judge her.

Her flowers probably weren't laughing and talking behind her back about her outburst right now.

Ridiculous. It didn't matter what the Godseekers thought, because essentially, they worshipped their own oncoming death and Emilitia would continue living. Those not loyal to the king fall. Just like the failed murderer Xero, just like the cretins who casted her out, just like that, they will all die to the infection.

And she will laugh and gloat at their demise, standing with her king, as she did countless times before.

She giggled and tended to her flowers, deheading the wilted blossoms, checking the soil and watering them. Their healthy glow filled the room in a soft light. Lumaflies were always too bright for her eyes and she was happy to have been introduced to this plant.

Isn't life wonderful?

-

Days have passed. Days that Godseeker spent neglecting her duties by only half heartedly listening to the gods and waiting for the Eternal Beauty to reveal herself again.

She never did. Her mind shut their calls out and remained hidden.

The other Seekers whispered. Never before had they upset a God like this. Never had they walked out like that. They always would have accepted the God's divine punishment. This… rejection hurt. The silence from the goddess was crushing.

Godseeker stood up from her throne and opened her eyes in the waking world. Before her the Knight laid on the floor, looking up at her as Grimmchild flattered around them. They jumped on their feet and dashed passed her but she grabbed their coat and lifted them up. They squirmed and kicked their legs and Grimmchild screeched angrily.

"Calm yourself, Godchild," she waved them away and dropped the Knight in front of her. Grimmchild sat down on their head.

Godseeker turned to the Knight. "Crawler. Escort Us to the Goddess of Eternal Beauty."

No words came from them as expected. Instead their shoulders were shaking and they rolled down on the floor, laughing silently. She blushed under the mask.

"Cease this behaviour! Thou traverse these wastes daily. Thou must have met her on thy journey."

The Knight calmed and stared at her. They pointed at her and then upwards and shook their head.

"Our shell is hard. Strong. But We art not masters of the nail. If thou reject Us, we refuse entrance to home to thee."

Their shoulders slumped and Grimmchild, still sitting on their head grumbled. They pondered.

Wouldn't it be much easier to drag Emilitia down to her? No… she doesn't seem like someone who would step anywhere near the sewers and if they kidnapped her it would probably end in a big mess for both of them. Escorting the Godseeker to the City of Tears might be worth it in the long run. If they had to enter Godhome they wouldn't have to come all the way down.

Yes, that sounded good.

They pointed at her and made climbing motions with their hands.

"We don't climb." Godseeker stood up and grunted as her legs struggled. Too many years spent in hibernation made them weak. She stretched her back and shook the golden shell and torn cape off her. Wings sprouted out of her wing-case. The Knight nodded, walked to the wall and began climbing.

A few test flaps later, she grabbed her belongings and took off the ground. The Knight had to stop many times, when her wings grew weak and she needed a break. They crossed their arms and walked circles as she finally landed next to them right at the entrance to the City of Tears.

Godseeker perked up, stumbled out into the rain and craned her neck towards the ceiling… In seconds she and the Knight were drenched and she decided on not putting her shell back on for now.

“Magnificent. Truly a home worth of Gods,” she breathed out.

The Knight shrugged and dashed forward striking down the husks and guards on their way until they stood before Emilitia’s door.

The Seekers’s excited chatter echoed in her mind and her heart beat at the sight of the flowers that covered the door. A soft beautiful light came from them.

The Knight pushed the door open just a crack.

“O Goddess! Please punish Us!”

The Knight visibly cringed.

They could hear the quiet click of the lever as the door flew shut and stomped their feet. Grimmchild scratched at the doorstep.

Now they would have to crawl through the sewer again!

They turned to Godseeker, pointed at her and then at the spot she stood at. Then they pointed at themself and down the street.

“We will wait. Thou not need to worry about Us. The rain reminds Us. Our land. Old Home."

They dashed away, kicking water at her legs and Grimmchild teleporting after them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by @hallowed-vessels

“What are you doing, little Grub?” Emilitia asked as the Knight crawled out of the sewer and plopped onto the floor. She gripped the edge of her seat and leaned forward, still swinging her legs. Grimmchild nestled between their horns and they slowly stood up.

They brushed off the dirt on their coat, but it was wet and stuck on the fabric. She laughed dryly. "Are you aware of the concept of breaking and entering? Does your kind have the capacity to understand it?"

They shook their head and Grimmchild stuck out their tongue. Then they dashed past her, jumped and hit the lever. The door opened and Emilitia sighed.

Godseeker squeezed into the room and fell down on her knees before Emilitia, bowing deeply. "We beg for thy forgiveness, Goddess! Punish Our worthless shell!"

“I'm not a god,” she pressed out. She let go off her seat and straightened her back. “You should be begging the King for forgiveness, not me. Stand up and explain yourself.”

Godseeker followed her command and stood up. “O Goddess, We meant no disrespect towards the Pale God. His lingering power drew Us to Hallownest. But! He departed a long time ago. Only his fading influence is left for Us to admire.”

“What makes you think he's...” Emilitia choked. “Maybe he doesn't deem you worthy enough to reveal himself!”

“If he hid himself from Us by choice, he wouldn't be fading. We listen but no Pale God can answer Our calls, for he exists no more.”

Emilitia blinked and stared down at her hands. Silence fell over the room, but Silence itself was still a noise. The rain outside continued falling in a steady rhythm, Grimmchild murmured and Godseeker’s deep breathing made her aware. Aware that all eyes were on her.

“He's gone…. He's really gone." 

Her vision blurred and she bit back a sob. A heavy weight she hasn't noticed before sat on her shoulders and she swung her legs. They were heavy and numb. Tears ran down her cheeks. The thought crossed her mind before. That he's gone, but….

"We understand thy pain. Our Gods of Rain and Thunder left Us to ponder their silence," Godseeker spoke softly.

She pressed her heels against the floor and shook her head. Bile rose in her throat. “Did he leave us to die?”

She has been so loyal but her God abandoned them. For what? Saving his own hide? No, he wouldn't do that. He couldn't after everything he gave Hallownest!

Eternal Emilitia sprung up from her seat and pushed past Godseeker and the Knight. Rain hit her flushed face and she rubbed her eyes. The infected guards and husks the Knight struck down still laid limp on the floor and she stepped over them, hurrying down the stairs and rushing towards the memorial fountain.

She didn't look up when she stopped in front of it.

Godseeker stood next to her and the Knight sat down on the fountains edge. They didn't look up either.

"Do you know it?" Emilitia asked them both.

The Knight didn't give any indication they heard her, but Godseeker nodded. "The God of Nothingness joined Us in Godhome."

“The King didn't abandon us.” Emilitia said loudly. Mostly to herself, but her heart just wouldn't believe herself. “The Hollow Knight is proof that he cared.”

The Knight tilted their head slightly. They were listening now. Their empty eyes judged her and she grew hot, pointing at the statue.

“I'm not wrong. I'm not! He sacrificed his child selflessly for us. His people!”

The Knight shot up. Their shoulders shook and they swung their arms and kicked their legs. Grimmchild yelped at their outburst and flew in circles. Emilitia rolled her eyes and finally looked up at the statue. She hasn't seen it in a long time. She hadn't been outside in a long time.

Eternal Emilitia doesn't remember faces.

She remembers how people carry themselves. She remembers how people present themselves. She remembers people's voices.

No wonder, that now she stood before the Hollow Knight again in all its glory, she realizes.

She turned to the Knight who was still shaking. “Remember how I thought of you as regal for just a moment? I thought of myself as so foolish, but I see now what you are. You're related to it.”

They nodded.

“The Hollow Knight is the King’s child.”

They nodded again.

“That means you're his child too. The Pale King sent you. He hasn't abandoned us after all!”

They shook their head.

"No? He made you to fulfil a purpose or not?"

The nail on their back remained sheathed as they pulled a different one out under their coat. They gripped it tightly as they stalked towards Godseeker… and swung it.


	4. Chapter 4

The strange nail passed right through Godseeker as if it were nothing but air. It exploded into a small ball of light and the Knight collapsed.

“Oh my goodness!” Emilitia shouted and rushed over to Godseeker. Grimmchild spat at her feet and laid down on the Knight, shielding them from the rain with their wings. There were no cuts, no bruises, no blood, but Godseeker didn't respond and stared off into the air as Emilitia stepped over the Knight and hissing Grimmchild.

“Are you alright? What did it do to you?” she asked and looked up at her. Up… Now that she actually took time to look and process, she noticed, that Godseeker was different than in her dream. Bigger. Stronger. Barely recognizable if it weren't for her mask.

Godseeker stirred and grabbed her shaking hands. “Thou hast no reason for concern. It entered Godhome.”

“No concern? It swung a nail at you, how can you be so nonchalant!” she ripped her hands out of her grasp and stepped away from her and the sleeping knight. Her body shivered under the rain and she pulled her cloak tighter, hugging herself and rubbing her arms. She sighed. “I'm tired.”

"Would thou like to return to thy quarters?"

The streets cracked by neglect laid before them, empty and broken, but with closed eyes Emilitia could pretend. Pretend that the rain falling in a steady rhythm were footsteps and the city still buzzed with life. Pretend that Godseeker watching her with a respectful distance was a guard.

Emilitia glanced at her. “Do you miss your homeland?”

“Home is not home anymore,” she merely replied, softly brushing the edge of her mask.

“You're free to stay with me,” Emilitia offered. “Of course, if I haven't made a fool of myself too much already.”

“We accept thy gracious offer, my Goddess.”

Godseeker bowed and she laughed, rubbing her wrist. “Don't start with this again. Please, call me Emilitia.”

“As you wish, my Emilitia.”

She blushed and quickly looked at something else. Her eyes focused on the Knight. “Do we just leave it there or…?”

“Let the Crawler lay,” she breathed out and Emilitia walked past them.

They moved back to her home and Emilitia looked up at the many doors once filled with living bugs and the Watcher’s Spire looming over everything.

“I was casted out,” she began, squinting towards a specific door. A faint gold light came from within. “Bugs lost hope, turned away from the king and followed someone else… but not me. Never me.”

The moment she spotted her flowers she perked up and stepped into her house. Godseeker followed her in shortly after and she dropped down on her seat. Her hands still shook when she opened her cloak and let it fall onto the floor. She was too tired to care that this wasn't appropriate for the attire or that it's considered rude not to maintain eye contact in a conversation.

“I hope you don't think of me as a bad host. I can only offer you tea at the moment."

Godseeker hummed in thought, tapping her mask. "We sadly have to decline, but We thank you."

Emilitia stood up and walked over to her cabinet. She didn't bother heating up a pot. Pouring the rain water she collected into a cup she added the leaves of the dead flower she cut today and stirred.

Godseeker laid down beside the seat and broke the silence. "Why were thou casted out?"

"Oh! It's actually quite an amusing story. Harold thought it would be a wonderful idea to capitalize on people's doubts in the Pale King and started a cult for himself," she laughed loudly and took a sip of the tea. "Now they're all infected." 

Godseeker’s heart fluttered and she smiled under her mask at her genuine laugh. “How dost a mere mortal sway so many bugs?”

“I suppose he was charismatic enough? He also worked for Lurien, meaning he already had some kind of influence. And let's not talk about his horrible Gold-Fashion fever,” Emilitia quickly added. “Only you can pull it off. You're very beautiful.”

Godseeker rested her chin on her hand. “We know.”

“Good.” Emilitia turned away again, hiding a yawn and tapping the cup. There was something gnawing in her. A heavy feeling she couldn't describe. “Is it wrong of me not to regret anything? Not joining my caste?”

“Thou art alive. They perished.”

“I'm also alone."

Godseeker waved her over and Emilitia hesitantly sat down next to her.

"Godhome is open for thou. O We wish thou would honour Us with thy presence again."

Emilitia swallowed. "I wish I could. Godhome was delightful, but... I don't know how I visited in the first place."

"Thy mind hides from Us. Perhaps fear refuses Our call?"

"Dreaming has proven to be a very dangerous activity in the last decades," She suppressed another yawn but her eyes quickly fluttered shut.

She fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woa, this is a long one!! Don't expect all future chapters to be like this euduwudwh thanks to hallowed-vessels for beta reading!

The Knight tightened their grip around their nail and approached the last pantheon. A heavy weight clung on their legs and they slowed with each step closer until they finally stopped next Godseeker. Her hummed prayer didn't echo as it usually would.

The God of Gods was closer than ever.

Her light shone bright and called, the air smelled sweetly and all the Seekers listened closely.

“Why does thou hesitate?” Godseeker snapped out of her daze. Her voice shook with excitement.

No other pantheons remained.

They challenged and triumphed over all the gods but now they stood there, twisting the nail in their hands and staring at the floor with no real interest. Under their expressionless mask and simple cape they shrugged. The Knight looked up at her. Then they turned and walked away.

She growled. "Coward! Accept the divine punishment!"

They ignored her and jumped off the edge, disappearing in the clouds.

Godseeker blinked.

Outside of Godhome, in the waking world, not much has happened. Emilitia was still sleeping, sitting on the floor and her upper body leaning on her stool. Her mind still evaded their calls and she did not visit Godhome again. Godseeker was disappointed but not surprised.

After all, she had a lot of emotions to process from this short but exhausting day.

Until the Crawler decides to face the final pantheon they could not ascend any further. For the first time in decades Godseeker felt bored. Unbelievable. 

She moved aside, giving the sleeping bug space and scanned the room.

It was a small apartment. Curtains covered the stone walls and when she peeked behind them there were no windows. A pile of decorations, chests and fancy furniture, though old and worn, were shoved into a corner. There were no personal belongings or anything that would make this space feel inhabited in sight except the glowing flowers.

She opened one of the bigger chests. In it jars containing flower parts, gloves and utensils for gardening were stored. Between the jars a few rolled up posters poked out and she pulled one out. It seemed to be an old magazine cover. The colours were smudged, but Emilitia wearing an extravagant dress while posing was still clearly visible.

"What are you looking at?" Emilitia stared at her with wide eyes and stood up.

Godseeker lowered her head. “We apologize. Our behaviour was highly inappropriate.”

Emilitia walked over to her and ripped the poster out of her hands. She briefly looked at it before blushing. “I was a model for a short time… and you're forgiven.”

She shoved the poster back into the chest and slammed it shut. Godseeker cringed at the used force and Emilitia sighed, rubbing her eyes and sitting down on her stool.

“We didn't eat anything yesterday did we?” she asked.

Godseeker nodded.

“Most parts of my flowers are perfectly edible but I certainly didn't plan on feeding more than one person with them. And with the infection outside it never crossed my mind to look out for actual food,” Emilitia swung her legs and thought out loud. “I would be a bad host if I didn't offer you anything substantial. I was thinking maybe we should… seek out other survivors? Purchase some food? Of course I'd be paying.”

Godseeker thought back to her little journey to the City of Tears. She hasn't encountered any uninfected bugs and out of all places if there should be any then in the capital right? Maybe not, the guards did seem very pesky to deal with.

“Does thou know where bugs live?”

Emilitia waved her off. “We will ask the Stag about it. Let's get ready, yes?”

Godseeker nodded and turned to her golden shell and cloak she discarded next to the door. The cape was still damp but once they stepped out into the rain it wouldn't matter anyway. She put the shell back on.

Emilitia threw a dark blue cloak over the one she was wearing and opened one chest. She grabbed some Geo and stuffed it into a bag. Godseeker stood by the door watching. She glanced at her.

“I do not want to come off as rude, but you should let me cut that cape.”

Godseeker shook her head and pulled the cape out of reach. “Why does thou propose such a thing?”

"You will be catching and dragging dirt all over the place like this," she took a pair of scissors and held out her hand. "Give me your cape, please."

“This is not a simple garb we're wearing. It's a traditional-”

"Right now it's torn and will probably get stuck on a piece of metal or something of the like."

Godseeker grumbled but let her grab the cape and snip it to an even length. She folded the cut cloth and placed them on her stool together with the scissors.

Then they stepped outside.

The infected bugs weren't lying dead on the floor anymore and Emilitia tensed up, running down the road before stopping. She wasn't quite sure where King's station was anymore and all the signs were cut into pieces. She grumbled. It was probably the grub. No sense of respect and a love for property damage! Godseeker caught up and they continued walking until they reached the station.

One infected bug jumped at them. Godseeker grabbed Emilitia’s shoulder and pulled her back. With the other hand she threw the bug against a wall, were it slid down into the water below.

"Impressive," breathed Emilitia out. "You're quite a strong woman!"

Godseeker bowed to her and she giggled.

She rang the bell for the stag and waited. The station fell silent when the ringing faded away and she adjusted her collar. What if no stag survived? She'd hate to walk. No, scratch that. She'd hate to deal with all the walking corpses. Not that they would come far completely untrained with the nail.

The stag’s footsteps echoed in the tunnel and she loosened up. He halted before them.

“Oh, greetings!” he gasped, eyes wide. “It's a pleasant surprise to see new faces using my service. Usually only the little one calls me-”

“Do you know of any settlements?” Emilitia interrupted him.

He grumbled. “Hmm, near the surface is a small town. It's much quieter now, travellers such as you come less and less.”

She held back a comment about living here and straightened her back. "That sounds adequate. We request of you to take us there."

"Alright, hop on!" 

Emilitia grabbed the handle, swung herself up into the seat and adjusted the space of the seating for Godseeker but said one fiddled with her hands instead of hopping on.

The Stag chuckled. “Nervous? Don't worry, I can walk slower if that makes you feel more comfortable. There isn't a huge demand for me nowadays.”

"We thank thee." 

Godseeker got up into the seat with quick instructions from Emilitia and the Stag and began their track through the tunnels. He took his time and roped Godseeker into a conversation Emilitia didn't care enough to listen to. She watched the walls and windows go by decorated with Pale King’s symbol.

At last they arrived at a very small station. Godseeker almost had to crouch and they took turns on the elevator.

Outside they were greeted by a wind of dust and sand and Emilitia coughed, lifting her cloak up to cover the lower half of her face. The town was empty and abandoned save for two buildings who had a light on and an old bug standing next to a bench.

The air was dry. It was silent. Emilitia wanted to turn around right now and travel back to the city.

The bug perked up and waved them over. They hesitantly stepped closer. Godseeker looked at the flower he was holding and Emilitia recognized it as the one the Knight offered her a while ago. 

“Good… day,” Emilitia said, squinting at the dark sky.

“It seem more and more bugs come to Hallownest lately,” he said and Emilitia thought back to the stag. Didn't he say otherwise? The bug kept talking. "Though you two don't seem like the adventuring type. What brought you here?”

“I live here.”

“Oh?”

Emilitia laughed. “Yes, in the City of Tears in fact. Ever been? It's quite a beautiful place unlike this… cute village.”

Elderbug frowned. “I heard of the capital and it's riches. I'd never cared about going down there though. When you grow old you enjoy the peace and quiet of a small, safe place more.”

"I'm older than you," she pointed out.

They stared at each other.

Emilitia cleared her throat. “Can I purchase food somewhere?”

“The house behind me is a shop.”

She nodded and walked past him. Godseeker didn't follow and sat down. Inside the spot she spotted a tiny bug. His big eyes looked her up and down.

"I'm surprised one of you rich mugs made it so far, eh. More customers, more Geo." 

"What is that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms.

"You couldn't even lift a children's nail if you tried."

“Oh, how charming to talk to a customer like this,” she browsed the shop and pointed at a big nail on the wall. “Perhaps someone of your small stature likes to demonstrate?" 

He squinted. "Don't tempt me. Are you gonna empty your pockets or not?" 

“Do you have rations that don't require any prepping or cooking? A bit of everything.”

Emilitia tapped her foot against the floor. Perhaps she should have asked Godseeker what she liked to eat first….

He shrugged and dropped a full basket on the counter. "1200. No money back if anything is expired."

“That price is outrageous!”

He leaned to the side and eyed her bag. “You look like you can afford it, lady.”

“Naturally, but are you worth it?”

“If you have a problem with my prices find another shop,” he leaned over the counter. “I dare you.”

She rubbed her wrist and sighed, dropping her bag at his feet. “Fine. Here you go, cretin." 

“Pleasure doing business with you.” He pushed the bag under the counter with his feet.

She lifted the basket and immediately slumped forward. Her arms were shaking and she huffed. Did he fill it with rocks? No, she could smell and see the food under the lid.

"That weighs less than a nail, to point out." 

She walked out without another word. 

Outside she almost dropped the basket out of her burning hands. The Knight stood next to the elderly bug, shoulders heaving and still drenched. Their hands curled into fists and they approached Emilitia, who stood frozen.

In front of her they gripped their nail, drove it into the dirt and drew lines. They stopped and looked up at her.

She squinted, avoiding their eyes. “Your handwriting is horrid. I'd expected better from the King’s child.”

Their arms dropped to their sides. She walked past them and sat the basket down on the bench. The Knight gestured at her direction and the elderly bug shrugged. They stomped their feet and she rolled her eyes.

“No need to throw a tantrum, grub. That's very unbecoming.”

She walked back and read their words.

‘Your purpose?’

A cold shudder travelled down her spine and she stepped back. They tilted their head.


End file.
